Versatile automation for advanced CFRP manufacturing
A versatile automated axial fibre laying and winding technology for advanced epoxy carbon fibre composites able to produce both preform and final parts has been developed. This proprietary technology precisely handles ultra-high modulus pitch and PAN carbon fibres in layers and any combination of orientations from axial true 0° to 90°. These uniquely combined process capabilities enable the creation of new design FRP composite structural components, unachievable with conventional filament winding. This article has been published in JEC Composites Magazine n°163.
For more than 30 years, Czech Republic based CompoTech PLUS spol. s r.o., has created innovative axial fibre processing technologies to make advanced composite parts. Their advanced winding technology platform is now offered as a versatile turnkey solution. The platform is easily adaptable between products, as well as offering high performance and the optimisation of the laminate, incorporating true 0° axial fibres. The Automated Fibre Laying (AFL) is managed by software that has been developed with the ability to adjust the parameters defining the laminate and tooling, making it easily compatible for both square and round section profiles.
The capability for producing tubes and square, or N-sided, epoxy Carbon Fibre (CF) beams, dates back to the start of CompoTech as a business in 1995. The original axial winding machine was built using tooling pins to allow true, zero-degree fibre placement for optimal composite fibre performance. While originally applied to sporting goods such as white-water canoe paddle shafts and yacht masts, the technology was quickly applied to industrial beam applications.
This niche focus continued over the last 3 decades, with continual innovation. Automated processing technologies capable of producing high modulus axial pitch fibre carbon epoxy beam or tube structures, primarily for industrial machines, automated production lines, machine tool and specialist metrology equipment have been developed and commercialised.
CompoTech collaborates with Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMS) and specialised tier 1 manufacturers to design and produce alternative Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) components that significantly enhance the performance and productivity of industrial machines and assembly lines while simultaneously reducing energy consumption and lifetime operational costs.
Superior axial CFRP part performance
CompoTech’s automated fibre placement and winding technologies are integrated with a Fanuc 6-axis robot arm. Proprietary programming and control software includes simple protocols for precision fibre application. The superior performance, compared to traditional filament winding, is due to a combination of the AFL system’s ability to handle and precisely position both pitch and PAN carbon fibres, as well as its capability to achieve ‘true zero’ axial fibre orientation. Axial fibres provide components with a significantly higher E-modulus than is achievable through conventional filament winding, which typically reaches only down to 10° for axial content.
Cover photo: CompoTech’s 6-axis AFL and advanced winding machine
